TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 15

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A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival  KERPLUNK, SPLASH! Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's chilly waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. It's paralyzingly cold for a few seconds before you're approached by the Lady of the Lake beneath the water's surface. She puts a vial of a vibrant, glowing red Everwarm* potion to your character's lips.
The icy water doesn't feel so icy once consumed and you'll be able to move your limbs enough to swim to shore on your own. She can't stick around to explain, she's got to get this to all the new arrivals! Many of which you'll see plopping in around you. If you can't swim, a handful of helpful ice turtles will scoop you up from beneath and drop you off at the shore. It's a fast process, though they do take their time as they need to go around hitting the ice that keeps forming on the surface with their shells to keep the surface open for the falling arrivals. If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. If anyone with Animal Magic asks the turtles, they will give the full spiel, but very slowly, and they like to get off topic and gossip about other turtles you've never heard of. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, but if you do fall, be prepared for a mysterious sand hand to reach out of the side of the cliffs to catch you. The hand will pat you atop the head twice before retreating back into the wall. This is the Cliff Beast; despite the name, he is quite friendly.

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B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot

Once everyone is wrangled up to the top of the White Cliffs, the handsome owner of the Rent-a-Ride, Archimedes, will distribute smart phones and a pair of ear buds and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. It was recently enchanted by Merlin to prevent people from having to fish their waterlogged possessions and pets out of the water with them. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of the universe is frozen in time and your character has been brought here by a familiar that was able to bond with them. They'll have to learn magic to help save their own world from destruction, but first they've got to get them to Camelot. It is here that you have the first opportunity to decide who they will be in their new home. You'll have about an hour to wander around here, meet and greet, and pet the horses before it's time to go.

These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console, with a special feature for warm winter drinks like hot apple toddy and butter beer. Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service, avalononline (AOL), to chat with other characters, watch dumb videos, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, from how to use a smart phone to where to find quests and resources to learn more about your magic). Be careful if you decide to use your phones while in the caravan-- if you don't use those earbuds and start forcing everyone to listen to your nonsense, Archimedes may make you walk.

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C ⦿ The Red Spring

The journey from the White Cliffs to the City of Camelot is a long one, and the first evening you arrive you'll end up spending at the Red Spring, a booming resort town. Newcomers get free inn rooms for their one night stay on the way to Camelot, containing two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and movies.   Don't want to relax in the room? Take a dip in the communal hot spring. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out! The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, where there are teachers who will teach basic magic safety and help you discover what kind of magic you have together with other new arrivals. Try target practice, obstacle courses, meditation circles, and other ways to try to figure out just what you can do... if you didn't already have an accidental discovery on the ride there.

 

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Last month, players were invited into the fae territories in Elphame for the first time for the Winter Solstice celebrations while King Arthur and Queen Elphame enter talks regarding the next steps toward saving the multiverse. In the meantime, a special camp hosted King Arthur's knights has been created on the riverbank just inside of the Forest of the Felled to act as a midway point for travelers going between the two points.

 

A ⦿ Snow More Cold
	The Forest Camp is quite a stunning outpost for Camelot. Given the snowy, cold weather, the campsites have been built with the knowledge of some of the snowier fae in mind and have resulted in what some are referring to as "Igloo Glamping." Artfully carved out group rooms, dining halls, and storage for supplies, and more have been carved out of snow to create a surprisingly warm solution to keeping safe as a Forest halfway point. Admittedly, it's not the your standard glamp-- but there are TVs, board games, and long fur-lined beds to keep you and four other people warm cuddled up together at night! There's also a snow port-a-potty that you probably don't want to face, but sometimes we face challenges in life. There are also a number of planned activities to keep people out of trouble while they stay.
...Or if they do get themselves into trouble, they can also end up in snow jail, a special igloo built with extremely tough ice stalagmites that will be hard to break out of until authorities can come pick you up and take you back to Camelot.

 

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B ⦿ The Great Avalon Bake-Off
One of these activities is inspired by a surprising store of buried baking supplies like flour, sugar, butter, yeast, and eggs that was found in the forest. It's been there a long while, but it seems to have been protected through magical preservation, so there's really only one thing to do about it: a bake-off! It's a little tricky out in the snow, so outside of the igloos, a trench has been dug and all contestants have been given a campfire. Alchemists have helped by creating clay ovens in the snow for contestants to bake their culinary creations in. The most impressive confections (not just the top scorer) will earn a copy of (Spell) Thirst. This spell can make someone feel thirsty, even if they aren't.

 

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C ⦿ Ingredient Hunt 2022
	The real trick is finding ingredients to make your confection something to stand out and come up on top of the contest, which you may need to wander into the Forest of the Felled to look for. There are a variety of winter berries able to be found, herbs and flowers buried under the snow if you can find them, and most importantly, a couple of truffle bushes from which chocolate and vanilla truffles can be harvested. There are quite a few tasty flavors to be found throughout the forest, and since it hasn't been repopulated yet due to the harsh winter, it's relatively safe to wander around no matter who you are. If you feel like you need protection though, maybe ask around camp to find someone who can fight for you.
Just be wary as there are a few ingredients you can find in the forest that may cause a few unintended side-effects to your taste-testers: Cider Berries: These berries appear to have a fiery glow coming from within. That is because they will temporary cause anyone who consumes them to breathe fire when they exhale for about 10 minutes straight... definitely a problem when you're living in an igloo. They have a great apple-y smell though! Strangler Figs: These fig trees grow around other plants and strangling them as if they were anacondas around prey. They produce the most brilliant looking and tasting figs, even in the winter time. Unfortunately, having been in Avalon long enough, they have absorbed magic into their roots and are now able to defend their fruit by creeping up anyone who touches them and trapping them in their grip. They cannot move while you are looking at them, so don't blink and hope you can outrun them. Little Leeks: These are very, very small leaks that seem to be hanging out in small vials found about an inch beneath the surface of the snow. They all seem to have different faces painted on the front of the vials, though the vials do seem to be a part of their body. The simple faces match the effect you'll get-- a crying face will result in your character having an uncontrollable sob fest, a happy face may make it seem like nothing phases them, some angry eyebrows on a frown could result in your character wanting to fight everyone in a fit of anger, and so on. The most tragic part is that these will continue effecting you until they are fully digested-- so it could take hours to stop bawling.

 

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Back in Camelot and Elphame, trouble is brewing of a different variety.

 

A ⦿ Calls You Daddy
Strange eggs with even stranger tiny legs have started wandering into the city and making their way into peoples' homes. Inn rooms, houses, apartments, tents, tree trunks, igloos, even townships have found residents waking up with a tiny little egg snuggled up to their side to keep warm in the morning.  These eggs act just like babies too-- they cry when they need to be fed (they'll roll around in the food to absorb it), are extremely picky about their food (and each egg has its own unique palette), need to be cleaned after eating, and they need to be kept warm or they will perish.
One touch of an egg to direct skin will result in a parental instinct being imprinted upon whoever touches them, so you may find yourself wanting to care for this egg as much as it wants you to care for it. Eggs come in a variety of colors and designs and will seek out at least two parents, so you may find yourself in an unlikely relationship for the next week or so until they hatch...

 

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B ⦿ Aurora Bearealis
	After about a week, the eggs all seem to be antsier than before. Many of their legs disappear and their colors start to glow gently at night, as if some kind of strange nightlight. Eventually, the top of the egg will burst open and out of it will hatch a slightly oddly shaped bear creature, which looks almost like a living teddy bear. The bears themselves have strange glowing markings that match the outside of the egg that they used to be in, and when they step out, a mysterious flow of light comes out of them- like an aurora borealis. At this point, there are two real problems that have started: Touching the aurora borealis lights will also make you glow with aurora borealis lights for 48 hours. They are bears and they act like bears and they get into everything and fight everyone like bears, except their perceived parents.

 

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C ⦿ Go on, Git. CW: Mentions of poaching, beheading in last paragraph.
	These fierce little aurora bears are causing destruction and pain in both Elphame and Camelot alike, so a decision has to be made: the bears need to be led by their parents and some fighters out to the nearest forest and set free to live in the wild, as they probably were intended to. Those in Camelot who release their bears there will find a heart-wrenching goodbye interrupted by a rather dramatic battle. The natural predator of aurora bears, the flaming lions known as Fogueria, have come out of the Land of Rot to hunt them down. I hope you brought someone with you to help save both you and your beary good friend from this flaming enemy. Fogueria cannot be defeated without using magic, so you've got your battle set out for you!
For those who have taken to Elphame, they are not faring much better. As it turns out, these little eggs have made quite the impression on some goblin poachers released from prison last month. These goblins are hunting down the newly released bears for capture to sell them as circus side-shows, food, and more to more devilish creatures. They love gold much more than they love anything else, except perhaps the fierce beast that accompanies their party to help them devour anyone who would try to stop them: a gashadokuro, a fierce skeletal demon formed of the bones of fallen travelers. It is known to bite off the heads of travelers and drinks blood. You'll have to defeat the whole party to ensure your newly released bears remain safe.

 

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• All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, as the events within are considered game canon. • This post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads and may start their own logs off-post, but should not top-level comment on this post. • If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities. •If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt. • The first "Arrival" prompts are usually present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ.

 

Comments

[excalibeam]

Mm...

[ Indeed... she only had a vague understanding of what the Grand Order's purpose was. Some knowledge about singularities... less knowledge about lostbelts. As it was a Grail War she (or at least, this version of her) was unrelated to, she didn't want to trouble Gareth or anyone else with explaining it... especially if she's already there as a Saber... and however many variations apparently exist.

Artoria Caster... changes things, though. Her ignorance feels insensitive. Still...

Her question is simple and... still hard to answer. She can still answer it, though. ]

Looking back... I do not think I ever considered it to be a burden back then. Perhaps a result of what I abandoned...

[ How ironic. Vortigern fought for the Mystery remaining on the British Isle, while Artoria fought for the Age of Man... and it was her humanity that she abandoned to become such a King.

She lets out a long sigh. ]

But... at the end, I did break. I am—or rather was—a Servant summoned by the call of the wish-granting Holy Grail. Artoria Caster... do you know what my wish was?

[dienw]

[ the "her" from pan-human history broke...? she knew king arthur's end had been inglorious, alone on a bloody hill. morgan had taunted her with it, but... ]

No. I would have dreams of you sometimes... visions, you know? But nothing after your life.

[ caster let out a breath. ]

What was your wish?

[excalibeam]

[ Artoria’s eyes don’t meet Artoria Caster’s for a moment… but eventually they do. ]

Certainly, another could have done what I did. Protect my country, save it even… or even simply bring it to a more peaceful end.

My wish… [ A pause and a breath. ] My wish was to have never become king.

[dienw]

That isn't...! [ for all that she had wondered at what drove the king of knights so far, it wasn't... she did the best anyone could have. but... ]

I tried to run from what my Britain expected, too, but... the thought of a king who always had to be selfless no matter what, who no one could understand or come close to... totally absorbed by others' expectations...

[ the fairy girl's grip on her staff tightens. ]

I just thought it was too cruel.

[excalibeam]

[ Earlier her heart ached at the sound of a voice so similar to her younger days... it aches for a different reason now. ]

Hah... perhaps you are right...

[ Too cruel for any human... hence why she had abandoned that side of herself. It wasn't the first time someone told her that, but... hearing it from Artoria Caster... hearing it in her own voice... ]

Caster... I no longer hold any regrets. My life, my time as king... though I do not yet know if my path was the correct one, I know that I lived to the best of my ability. Even if ruin was inevitable... my people were still able to smile, so I no longer consider my decision a mistake. Still...

[ She places a hand on Castoria's shoulder... ]

I know not the circumstances of your life, and I hope that you will forgive my ignorance, but hearing those words from you... [ A small smile. ] Well, to be truthful, it makes me feel... somewhat relieved.

[ That there was a version of herself who didn't agree. An Artoria who could outright say that the path she chose was too hard, too lonely, and too cruel. It was never something Saber had said herself... up until the very end, she'd never considered it that way. To a perfect King, after all, such treatment wasn't considered cruel... but rather necessary.

So, in that sense... regardless of where her life pushed her, the fact that she considered it cruel at all was... a relief. ]

[dienw]

[ she could try to explain in due time. everything that happened, the nature of the fairy kingdom, of the mission of the avalon le fae.

the answers that the king arthur in her dreams had given were... unsatisfactory. they were only prompts for her to reflect on, and offered no real insight into this other existence she was expected to match. but then the king of knights spoke so... frankly. so gently. this being who was not her, despite the expectations of britain and chaldea alike, placed a hand on her shoulder and told her that her own doubts were a source of relief.

caster felt herself begin to tear up, the enormity of it all beginning to crash onto her shoulders. despite her name, she was not a heroic spirit, not yet. she was only a girl who had reached the end of her destined path and carried out her mission. not a ruler, not a hero, just... someone burdened with a duty, and carrying all of it out to the end.

she planted chastiefol's base in the earth beside her and threw her arms around the king who was not her—the king of knights who took her throne, not the nameless king whose reign and hopes alike remained a star eternally out of reach. she began to sob, as the weight of everything and the endless loss of the past several days—of the past sixteen years, to be true—sank in past her own bitter exhaustion. ]

[excalibeam]

[ She's surprised and a little concerned as Caster started to tear up... but after she throws her arms around her and the surprise from that passes... she brings this girl, so much like herself and yet at the same time not, into the hug and lets her sob.

She places a hand on her head, gentle despite the metal gauntlet. She doesn't speak it, as such words wouldn't mean much with how little she knows... but her burden must have been unbearable, yet she bore it anyway. ]

[dienw]

[ she hadn't been alone in it. the others had stood beside her every step of the way, even as more of them fell and the fairies' accumulated sins rose higher and higher around their feet. even when she had intended to begin to bear it all on her own, to stop relying on them and to be what was needed.

caster clutched at the back of saber's dress, shoulders shaking as she cried on her there in the training grounds. she can feel the eyes on them, but she is far from caring, even if she's bound to feel anxious and embarrassed over it later. ]

I... I'm not the Holy Sword's wielder. Or chosen by the Sword of Selection. I'm not a fairy of Britain, but... one from Avalon. Almost every fairy hated me, even when they told me they were depending on me. My duty was to ring the six bells, and finish the mission the fairies abandoned 14,000 years ago. That Morgan refused to see through, 2,000 years ago. To forge the Holy Sword... to become it.

[excalibeam]

[ Not the Holy Sword's wielder, a fairy of Avalon, six bells, an abandoned mission, and Morgan... she listens intently, but she can notice the eyes on them as well, especially with their similar appearance. ]

I see... come, let us head inside, find somewhere more suitable to speak.

[ Even if she's not as bothered, she was still mildly anxious about the eyes on the both of them, so she assumes the same for Caster... even if she's distracted at the moment. Still, she doesn't want to come across as if she's brushing Caster off... that's the last thing she would do, so she keeps a hand at the very least on Caster's shoulder. ]

[dienw]

... Yeah. Good idea.

[ caster goes along with her without complaint, nodding once at the suggestion and picking chastiefol back up as they start walking towards the door. she begins wiping at her eyes with her sleeve, drawing in deep and shaky breaths as she tries to steady herself. ]

[excalibeam]

[ Saber is there to keep her steady as they head inside, Shirou finishing off Saber's lunch and flying back down to perch on Saber's shoulder. Fortunately for him, that particular transgression has been completely forgotten for now.

There's a table off to the corner that isn't taken, so she'll lead Caster over so that they can sit down, Saber taking a seat next to her. ]

A Fairy of Avalon, six bells, and a mission that Morgan refused to see through... to forge the Holy Sword?

[ Her eyes flit down to her own sword... certainly bearing the shape and appearance of Excalibur but utterly lacking the divine glow that every Heroic Spirit would recognize at a glance. More importantly, though...

The mission was to... become the Holy Sword?

It was... a lot to take in, even as they had made their way here. But more importantly... the mission the fairies had abandoned 14,000 years ago... the forging of the Holy Sword... if they abandoned that, then... ]

They... abandoned that mission?

[ She obviously hadn't been present at the time, but she knew about the feats of her own sword. If it hadn't been forged...

She bites her tongue, deciding not to vocalize that thought. ]

[dienw]

[ caster got her breathing under control as they walked, finally taking her seat. she nodded, looking at artoria again. ]

... The white titan left nothing but ocean behind. Cernunnos and his human priestess came from Avalon to chastise them, but he was gentle, and the fairies couldn't bear what they'd done. Merlin said they'd... just wanted to skip work that day, really. But even him being there would have scared them.

[ and here's the ugly part. ]

... And the fairies wanted land. So... they tricked the god, poisoned him, and floated his body in the sea. They chopped up his priestess and kept her alive, to make more humans. But they wanted to get as far away from the sin that founded their island as they could... and Cernunnos's hatred and curses only grew. So their Britain grew more, and more, as more fairies came there, killed each other, and were born there again, and they started building civilization...

[excalibeam]

[ Saber's expression... it only tightens further as Caster continues. The Fairies were lazy, that was the only reason... fairies inherently thought differently from humans, at least in Proper Human History... as awful as it was, she wasn't so foolish as to try and stubbornly hold uncaring fairies to her own morals... though it still leaves a bad taste in her mouth. Of course it does, for humanity to perish for such a reason...

But even that has it's limits as Caster continues, and while Saber continues to try and bite her tongue... ]

For such a reason...?

[ She's trying to remain quiet as Caster speaks, but there was a limit, and there's clear anger on her face... though it quickly shifts to an apologetic one for interrupting her. ]

Forgive me, go on...

[dienw]

It was that simple.

[ caster took a breath, before retrieving a bottle of water from her satchel and sipping at it. ]

It's... too complicated to try to really explain what Morgan did, but... She was... my predecessor. Another Avalon le Fae, who was supposed to ring the six bells, enter Avalon, and forge the Holy Sword... to set everything right. She came to Britain 6,000 years ago, and she tried to be its savior, but...

[ she shook her head. after the rain clan was lost, the fairies treated tonelico no more kindly than they ever had caster. much worse, if anything. ]

Your Morgan was summoned in the Lostbelt's present day... and sent her memories and knowledge back in time to the "her" in the Lostbelt. It destroyed her, but... it changed everything. The Lostbelt had already run its course, it was empty and destroyed, and then... the Lostbelt's Morgan used the moment it should have ended, 2,000 years ago, to make it permanent... and became the Fairy Kingdom's queen. She collected magical power to maintain what she'd built and hold back Cernunnos's curses. She hated the fairies, but she wanted her Britain to endure, more than anything. I think... I think she saw it as another chance.

[excalibeam]

...

[ Her Morgan... the one who ultimately brought about her end. They both saw things differently, and ultimately they would never disagree, but... ]

Morgan... same as ever, then. Though not in a way others could understand... her love for Britain...

[ Is even greater than hers... something Artoria knew, even if she didn't understand. It of course did nothing to abate how she felt about her sister, but... ]

[dienw]

... Her life in my Britain wasn't easy, either. I don't know all of the details, but... even if she abandoned her duty, she... she loved the Fairy Kingdom more than anyone. She hated the fairies, but... I think she wanted to get it right. To build her ideal place, and see it endure...

[ her expression darkens, a little, mouth settling into a line. when all was said and done, morgan's feelings weren't wrong. caster had claimed not to care about tonelico's pain, but that wasn't true. she had just refused to let it slow her down, because otherwise, everything would have been pointless. ]

... One of the clan heads... Aurora... lied to everyone in Camelot about Morgan when we took the city. She made her the villain behind all of Britain's problems. Someone held her daughter hostage to slow her down. And her own court tore them both apart.

[excalibeam]

[ Saber's eyes narrow... to think that this Lostbelt Morgan had a daughter... and to think that was how it ended for her. Caster... doesn't need to say anything for Saber to understand that when she says her own court tore them both apart... ]

Morgan and I... I suppose you know enough about me to know that we weren't on good terms. [ Still... ] However... such an end...

[dienw]

... Yeah. [ caster nodded, fidgeting her hands. ] I was... going to pass the throne to Knocknarea, instead, after that. The Lostbelt's Medb. She was the queen of the northern fairies... my rival. My oldest friend. She really... had Britain's best interests at heart... maybe it could have kept going, for a little while. If she became queen and I forged the sword, the Mors and the Calamities would have slowed down long enough, and it could have all just... faded away one moment, like it was any other day.

[ she closed her eyes, the expression on her face tightening. ]

Aurora set things up so she was killed, too. At her coronation. I held her, while she... [ she curled up slightly in her seat, grimacing. ] Then... it all started falling apart.

[ she swallowed a lump in her throat. she didn't want to talk about the rest. ]

[excalibeam]

[ There was a reason why Saber sat next to her rather than across from her. The way she spoke of this Knocknarea... the Lostbelt Medb... she had of course never met the Queen of Connacht herself, seeing as how she isn't a Servant from Chaldea... but that doesn't matter. She reaches over to pull Caster into a hug.

It's... frankly it's awkward. She's better at it than she would have been normally after all this time, but it's a bit too careful and she has her gauntlets on so there's the feeling of steel rather than a soft hand or anything like that. ]

That's enough, you needn't go on.

[ There's... plenty more to wonder about. What exactly her mission entailed aside from the forging of the Holy Sword, what she went through, even what happened next... but that wasn't necessary. She understood enough. The fact her mission was to become the Holy Sword was tragic enough, and this Knocknarea... she must have been special.

But she can tell she doesn't want to talk about the rest, so she's not about to make her. ]

[dienw]

[ cold and hard as the armored hand might be... the tenderness of the gesture is impossible to mistake. caster nods numbly to acknowledge the words and leans a little closer, closing her eyes.

pendragon may not know all of her circumstances... but she understands, doesn't she? as few others might. ]

... I don't regret any of it. Everything... everything except Morgan wanted Faerie Britain gone... even the fairies, deep down. I hated the fairies as much as Morgan did... but...

[ nothing deserved to end so horribly as the fairies of britain had... and as she suspected the land itself soon would. ]

[excalibeam]

[ Perhaps it was to be expected, considering who they are, but they were probably some of the few who could understand. She nods, listening carefully and just... keeping her hand tender.

In a way, from what she's heard, it sounds as though it was a Britain that ultimately received a punishment long delayed... but if she had been there... she can't say she wouldn't have felt similarly.

They had both held the burden of their country, albeit with Saber choosing to take that burden while Caster had it foisted upon her. Regardless, they both did the best they could... even if the end was ultimately unavoidable. ]

I understand...

[ She was one of the few who could, after all. ]

[dienw]

[ something about saber's greater experience, having more perspective on her life, is a comfort. she stays close, glancing down and chuckling joylessly. ]

... I'm not sure what to do with myself. The last I remember, I was meant to return to Avalon, and go into slumber. And I guess I still ended up in Avalon, heh... but... I was done. My role was finished. I'd accepted it, but now...